As part of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, WTDC 2017 held a panel on the use of telecommunications in disaster situations. Bernadette Lewis, Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunication Union (CTU) felt that "in terms of developing a disaster response, from a government perspective, we need to build 21st century governance. In addition, she highlighted the role of the amateur radio industry due to the fall of other communications networks. "Most of them are over 50 years old, so we must cultivate a new generation of amateur radio operators."